Crew of Two Race Around Catalina Coming July 21

NEWPORT BEACH — South Shore Yacht Club’s Crew of Two Around Catalina Doublehanded Race is coming July 21, and racers from around Southern California are gearing up for the 30th running of this popular summer competition.

Starting off the Balboa Pier at 11 a.m., two skippers will be aboard each boat. The overnight race usually takes between 14 and 24 hours to complete.

This year, race organizers have put together two course options. The first is a 90-mile course around Santa Catalina Island, returning to the Balboa Pier; and the second option is a 63-mile course around Ship Rock in Isthmus Cove and back. Both a spinnaker and non-spinnaker class will compete on the 63-mile course.

“This race attracts ‘the best of the best’ sailors in Southern California,” said South Shore YC Commodore John Marshall. “The great thing about the Crew of Two is that it is a charity race that benefits the Newport Sea Base, the youth maritime center for the community.”

In the last two years, South Shore YC members have helped raise $10,200 to purchase RS Tera sailboats for the Newport Sea Base. The facility offers programs to the public intended to increase understanding and appreciation for the marine environment by directly involving participants in thought-provoking, dynamic, hands-on activities, race organizers said.

All skippers participating in the race will receive an official “Crew of Two Around Catalina” T-shirt. The entry fee is $80. Entry forms and fees may be mailed to South Shore YC, P.O. Box 1174, Newport Beach, CA 92659. Make checks payable to South Shore Yacht Club. Entrants can also pay by credit card online, at southshoreyc.org.

Trophies will be awarded after the race on July 22 at South Shore YC, 1099 Bayside Drive.